Choose Your Own Topic

So right now, I am in this tutoring thing that I have to do through my Math 223 class.  For it, I need 20 hours of some teaching stuff so we took a field trip to Chicago Public Schools and that was 8 hours and then tutoring is 12 hours.  I have had to go every Wednesday for basically the whole semester from 4 – 6.  It is really not that bad, just time consuming because I always procrastinate my homework so Wednesdays are typically the best days for me to do homework but tutoring sometimes puts a damper on it.  I always bring homework with me to do, like this blog assignment.  I go with a group from my class and there is also another group that tutored last semester but they are overachievers and continued tutoring this semester also.  The most annoying thing is that kids never come in.  I have been here for 30 minutes already and no one has come in yet.  There are 8 people here and no kids.  I think this whole semester I have helped 2 kids; one with English and one with telling time. When kids actually come in to get tutored, they typically go to the other group because the kids knew them better. So for the majority of the time, I attempt to do homework but I really only accomplish the blogs.  I normally forget my computer so I hand write it out and to waste time, I actually count out how many words I have to make sure I get the minimum of 300 words.  Then when I get back to my room, I type it all out and upload it.  Overall I like tutoring when I get to tutor children but otherwise, it is pretty boring.  On the plus side, since it is our last day of tutoring, we get ice cream. Day will equal made after that.

Word Count: 319

Cinematic Adventures

So it’s another choose you own topic again. I'm going to talk about randomness that has happened to me over the weekend.  Last Friday I went with my roommate and our 2 friends, Luke and Jeremy, to see “The Cabin in the Woods”.  I thought it was really good. I went in thinking that it was going to be this super scary movie and it was at first but then it took kind of a sci-fi twist, which was really cool. I don’t want to spoil too much of the movie but what was really interesting was that the twist was never fully explained.  It could be taken as good or bad. I personally liked it because it allowed me to come up with my own idea and explanation. After that we went to Steak and Shake.  It was very delicious. I got a peanut butter shake and split a turkey club with my roommate.  It was a fun little outing because we did perhaps the funnest game invented, people watching.  At the theater, these dumb giggling, high school girls sat right in front of us. They were so annoying because 2 of them got up literally 30 seconds after they sat down to get popcorn and then when they came back, they were giggling once again and they spilt some popcorn which apparently deserves more giggling. The most annoying girl sat directly in front of me and she thought she was the only one in the theater because she reclined her seat all the way back and was on her phone almost the whole movie. Halfway through, though, an employee came down and said that she needed to turn her phone off.  My friends and I started to applaud the theater man.  It was quite funny. Then at Steak and Shake, there were these 2 way old ladies with blinding white hair poofed out like a whole foot.  The really funny part was they saw us laughing at them and they walked past our table on the way to their table and did the condescending old person look at us.  Overall, that night was pretty entertaining and filled with delicious food.

Word Count: 362

Writing Style

Writing for each class is different for me.  For English papers, I typically just start writing, no planning.  It’s probably not the best idea but it gets the job done.  When writing for English, I always jump around or add new ideas so frequently so I have found that creating an outline is not really helpful.  As for research, I took the easy way out in high school and googled all my sources because the library was such a hassle to get to.  Now since it’s on campus, I've been trying to be more academic and use books.  For other subjects, like history, I typically write out little sections outlining everything I know and then I free write and reference the notes I wrote down earlier every so often.  I've noticed that if I try to write a legit outline, like capital letters and Roman numerals, I end up writing basically an essay because I don’t really know when to stop writing the basic information.  I've found that what works best for me is to write down general information about each part of the paper and sometimes order them into paragraphs with like the subject part name in my outline (like for history, Civil War in p1) and then free write the rest with the information I know.

I think overall each course needs to receive different forms of research.  English requires much more support because it’s such a broad subject so it requires more searching to find someone who has the same opinion as you.  Whereas subjects like history or science, the information is standard.  It’s always the same and the only challenge is finding enough detail on the subject matter.  Actually writing for each class is also different.  In high school, my AP Lit and AP Gov essays were written entirely different.  English requires explanation and analysis whereas history just needs the straight answer.

In regards to the article we read, I definitely used the pens, highlighters and post it notes.  While I used them to draw all over the pages, I also used them to annotate the passages like she did.  I really like her method of “brainstorming” in which she creates a web of post it notes.  It seems like it would be beneficial for me because I tend to switch my thoughts around a lot.

Word Count: 390

Close Readings

A lot of the stuff we have learned about close reading, I knew before.  I took AP Lit junior year in high school and literally every single class period we did close readings of like every type of genre.  It was awful after the first quarter of school.  But on the bright side, I did learn a lot about close reading passages and how the author puts in hidden connections throughout the text.  I always went into my English classes with the notion that the author does not plan out every single detail like whether to put a comma there or to use a certain adjective.  After spending so many hours analyzing literature, I have come to understand that authors do in fact tie everything together when they write.  They chose certain words to evict a specific emotion or response from the reader.  Phrases that seem odd or out of place are that way for a reason and it is up to the reader to interpret all the other clues the author has left to get the hidden message.  I have learned to not dismiss any random part of the story because it all makes sense and most of all I have learned that nothing I think could be considered wrong.  That is the thing I love and hate about English; there are no wrong answers. As for continuing close reading everything, I still do, even with like TV commercials. It’s bad.  I feel like I can't even read something without thinking about why the author chose to use this word instead of another word but I think it actually helps me to understand what the author is trying to tell the reader.  If I pick up on these small clues, I can have somewhat of a foreshadowing to what will happen later on in the story and then comprehend the story a little bit better.

Word Count: 316

Paper Proposals

I have two ideas for my paper.  One is how Star Wars has become a cultural phenomenon in terms of how much merchandise it has and how there are conventions for it.  I like this idea because it is something that I have a lot of first-hand experience with.  In my last blog, I talked about how my mother collects a lot of the merchandise so I, in turn, got quite a few items myself.  I even got a Darth Vader balloon shape made, it was awesome.  But what I really want to address in this topic is how much more Star Wars is than just a film.  Most movies just come out with posters of the main characters face that no one really cares about or a book adaptation of the movie but Star Wars gives people something tangible to have that represents the movie to them.  For instance, there are literally thousands of action figures that you could buy and then recreate different scenes from the movie or come up with a whole new sequence of events, like maybe Anakin didn’t become Darth Vader.  So much merchandise and memorabilia allows people to create their own little Star Wars world.  My second idea was more general about the film industry and its impact on life.  It is also a little far-fetched in terms of making it into an 8-10 page paper but I wanted to possibly focus on the use of dialogue and how some lines become so iconic, like “Luke, I am your father.” That particular one is quite amusing because it’s not even the actual line but anyways, I would not only focus on Star Wars but also on movies like Scarface and the quote “say hello to my little friend” and so forth.  Research for the first topic was relatively easy because there’s quite a bit about how Star Wars has affected lives, one guy creates a one-man-show about the original trilogy but I need to find more about how the products themselves affect people.  If I were to choose the second topic, I might have more difficulty with research because I wouldn’t even know where to begin so most likely I will choose the first topic.

Word Count: 371

Star Wars Review

The story of Star Wars is well known by all, even those who have not even seen it.  It follows the basic plot of good guy turned evil who tries to take over the galaxy but is defeated by who else but his own son.  The story does have a typical ending in which the good guys win.  Whether that is a happy ending depends on if you are an Empire or Alliance fan.  Of course, the story involves more plot details and twists and, in my opinion, is still unlike any movie or series out now.  The sci-fi genre is very popular and it seems to develop more and more stunning graphics and story lines. Look at Avatar, for example.  Say what you want about it, but while the graphics are clearly amazing, the story line leaves a lot to be desired, like cutting out an hour of it to make it bearable to sit through.  Star Wars excels in both visual (for the time) and plot aspects.  The first trilogy released starts off in the middle of the story, which can cause some confusion, but creates an interesting way of telling a story that has not been done before.  Star Wars also set off the prominent use of computer generated graphics. The whole series is set in this alternate galaxy full of exotic planets and spaceships.  That alone means that the movies must be on their A-game in terms of graphics. Since the first trilogy came out between ’77 and ’83, I never had any interactions with those films but the second trilogy, which came out between ’99 and ’05, I saw each movie in theaters more times than I would care to admit.  My mother is a huge Star Wars fan and so that means, as a child, I was forced to become one too.  There are pictures of me when I was younger of having Darth Vader shoes and a balloon of Darth Vader.  The second movie, Attack of the Clones, I saw eight times in theaters because there were free tickets on the back of cereal boxes and all had different designs so mother had to retrieve all of them.  Even to this day, I can still quote many parts of the first three movies.  Even during watching the movie for the ethnography portion, I was quoting parts of the movie and probably annoyed my roommate.  Not only does Star Wars advertisement reach to cereal boxes, but they also have conventions, comic books, action figures, birthday party themed stuff, you name it.  Even now, 7 years after the last movie was released, there are still new collectible items coming out.  Star Wars also released an animated TV series about the Clone Wars, which branches off from the main story line.  The Star Wars franchise still produces new books also, which appeals to all the age groups, like those who grew up with the original Star Wars movies or those who grew up with the newer movies.  After seeing all the films multiple times, I feel that each one still is timeless and you cannot really tell that three of them were made 35 years ago because the graphics are still believable and the plot line is still unique.

Word Count: 543

Spring Break!

Once again, I am going to have a very boring spring break.  I think the last time I went anywhere for break was in 2^nd grade when I went on a cruise to the Bahamas with my parents.  As for this spring break, I am going back home to St. Louis and am going to be working basically every day.  My train gets in at 3 on Friday and then I have to go into work at 4 and work til 9.  I’m actually really excited because like I said in a previous blog, I really like my job.  Plus we got the Thai Chicken pizza back which is my absolute favorite so I will probably bring one of those home and eat that.  The only other thing I have planned is driving school.  Over Thanksgiving break I was really stupid and was speeding so I got a ticket and I had to go to court and everything over winter break.  So to not get any points on my license or insurance to go up, I can take driving school.  I thought it would be something quick, maybe like 5 hours or something but when I called to schedule my appointment, she said it would be from like 8-430. I am not looking forward to that at all.  Other than that, my break should be pretty fun. I have about 35 hours scheduled at work so that will be a nice paycheck and I will be able to see all my work friends plus my other friends who are coming home for break too.  My one friend who is still in high school, gets her child development baby this weekend so I am going to hang out with her and the baby a lot.  I also wanted to take that class in high school but I never wanted the kid so hanging out with her and the baby will probably reinforce my decision not to take the class.  Other than that, my break will be very boring.

Word Count: 337

The Movie Fan

Instead of going to the Normal Theater, I went to the Movie Fan to rent some movies.  I have been there before but barely remember it because it was close to the beginning of the semester.  I really enjoy that place because of the wide range of movies that they have.  Yeah, Blockbuster has a lot of movies to choose from also but the Movie Fan has literally floor to ceiling shelves filled with movies which is pretty cool.  Also the inside of the store is much better than Blockbuster.  The Movie Fan has movie posters all over the place and it reminds you of movies that you have either seen or want to see.  Also there are more genres to choose from so you can literally find anything you want.  They also have some TV seasons which is something really cool so you don’t have to waste your time trying to find shows online.  The man who was working there was super helpful.  I asked to find a Star Wars movie and literally without even looking around the store he told me exactly where to find it.  I feel like if I had asked anywhere else, the employee would have walked around trying to find it but the Movie Fan man was super-efficient.   The checkout process was much less of a hassle than Blockbuster.  All I had to do was give the membership card, tell them how many days I wanted it, pay, sign a receipt and then leave.  The Blockbuster people normally take forever and are somewhat rude about being at their job.  The set up inside, other than the posters, was more enjoyable than Blockbuster because there was a sitting area set up with a TV there which was awesome because you can just sit down and enjoy a nice movie.  Also they had candy there which is delicious. I really liked the store and will definitely go back. Plus it was cheap. And rent one get one free. Awesomeness.

Word Count: 333

Randomness #2

So it is another free response blog this week and I am not exactly sure what to write about. I guess I could tell everyone a little bit more about where all I have lived which some people seem to care about and then others don’t.  I was born in Texas in a city just outside of Dallas. I lived there til I was around 2 but I still consider myself a Texan. My gramma lives there so I visit her a lot and I absolutely love Texas.  The weather is amazing there all the time. Most people have this perception that it is super hot and humid all the time.  That’s not really true. While the temperature gets over 100 degrees quite frequently, I have never experienced an unbearably humid day. From Texas, I moved to Utah, outside of Salt Lake City. I was really young when I lived there so I don’t really remember it. However I do remember there being predominantly Mormon families (I have nothing against Mormons, just FYI) and so all our neighbors had absurd amounts of kids, like 15. They could’ve had their own TV show.  What was funny though is that I’m an only child, so all the other kids thought it was so weird that there was only one of me while everyone else had multiple brothers and sisters.  From there, I lived in 2 cities in North Carolina, outside of Charlotte and Greensboro.  I really loved North Carolina and I wish I could go back and live there again at some point in my life.  I've only been back once since I've moved though.  After North Carolina, I lived in Palos Park up by Chicago. Many of you are probably familiar with this area but no offense to you guys, I didn’t really like it. It was too crowded for me so I was glad when we moved. Now I live outside of St. Louis and it is probably my favorite place I have lived. The weather is super awesome and it’s just beautiful out there.  I always thought that the Midwest would be so boring but it’s actually filled with tons of trees and stuff of that nature.  I’m not really sure how to end these blogs so I'm going to show a picture of the new turtle iPod case I got!

Word Count: 392

Visual Text

For my visual text, I am going to write about a new movie I just got, A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas.  I have not actually viewed it yet but I loved the previous 2 movies so I'm sure that this will be just as excellent.  The front of the cover has the movie title across the top section of the cover with Harold and Kumar placed in the middle of the cover with Neil Patrick Harris next to them and 2 girls dressed as angels at the ends.  Without the movie title saying “Christmas” there's no way that you could imply it’s a movie that takes place around Christmastime.  The background is not very visible because the characters take up the majority of it but there is a faint sight of snow which implies winter but it is really hard to tell from just a quick glance at the cover.  The back of the cover is more obviously Christmas and winter time related.  It gives a quick summary of the movie, as all backside movie covers do, but the scene shots that are on the back show more of a Christmas themed movie.  There's a robot with a red apron on (a Christmas color) and it’s holding a tray with food on it and what appears to be holly (it’s a small-ish picture so I can't really tell).  Also the pictures along the bottom show Christmas trees and an evil snowman which are all Christmas and winter themed items. If you know anything about the Harold & Kumar movies, you know that they will have some stupid moments in them so to show that, there's a picture of them in their boxers, tied to a pole with some rope.  This picture implies the kind of shenanigans that they get themselves into.  Overall the front and back covers don’t really match up but they all have the different elements that are in the Harold & Kumar movies. I think it’s a good DVD cover and I can't wait to watch it.

Word Count: 341

Randomness

So for our third week of blogging, it is a free write so I’m going to talk about my favorite things. First off, as of right now at least, I am addicted to the game Tiny Tower. For those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s an app in which you continuously add new floors like residential, recreation, retail, food, creative and service.  Each floor costs a certain amount of coins and there’s like construction times for each new floor and whenever you restock items on the floors. Overall it is pretty fun and I’ve spent plenty of nights just lying in bed restocking floors and moving people up and down in elevators. Moral of the story is that if you don’t already have it, you should get it. Plus, it’s free. So that’s pretty awesome.

Another thing that I enjoy is working at my job back home.  It sounds lame that I actually like work because most people are like ahh I hate my job but not me.  I’ve been working at Papa Murphy’s (pizza store) for 2 years in March and I'm currently the shift supervisor.  It’s a pretty big responsibility because I have to boss around the new people and they don’t really know what to do or they challenge my authority. Basically my jobs as a pizza maker is to sauce and cheese the dough, then put toppings on and wrap it up. A cool thing about the store is that we don’t cook the pizza there; it’s take and bake so people have to bake it at their homes.  But it’s an easy job and since I've worked there for so long, I'm really close with all the employees and we hang out and stuff. I also became best friends with one of the girls there so that’s cool too. I don’t really have much of a life as you can tell, hahaha.

Word Count: 320

Commercials

For the commercial assignment we had, I watched Glee, which is on Fox.  I believe that Fox’s target audience is kids our age, because based on the commercials in which they promote their own shows, it seems like most of the shows appeal to teenagers and young adults.  Because of this targeted audience, the commercials generally revolved around upcoming movies, TV shows, car companies or social media. 

The majority of commercials that I saw were geared towards a younger crowd, with car commercials for the college grads who need to get a brand new vehicle, or someone who needs to upgrade their old phone.  Each commercial had a variety of colors and sounds (like music or a jingle) to catch the attention of the audience.  Fox also has shows that are directed towards an older audience (like American Idol or any of their drama shows), they also have commercials that parents would need, like Nyquil or Dayquil if they or their child is sick.  Most commercials however were directed towards the younger generation. Some commercials that really stood out to me where a Sprint commercial about unlimited data for the iPhone and Subway advertising their Febru-any $5 footlongs.

The Sprint commercial stuck out to me for a couple of reasons. One is because I’m on the Sprint network and the other is because I really want an iPhone.  Sprint knows that teenagers and young adults are caught up in technology and rely heavily on it and the majority of people would like to have an iPhone.  So they create a commercial that appeals to the technological aspect of life (iPhone) and simultaneously promote their company’s unlimited data deal (which is a really good deal).  Also the Subway commercial relies heavily on its catchy $5 footlong slogan.  Subway uses that slogan to their advantage because everyone knows it and, let’s face it, some of us sing along to it.  The familiarity with it makes people remember Subway and crave it.  Along with the $5 footlong slogan, they add the clever Febru-any to the commercial, they promote the current deal they have going on, which is super awesome because Subway is delicious.

Word Count: 360

English 101

Hey, my name is Rachel Haase and just like most, if not all of you, I am a freshman here at ISU and am a Math Education major. Every time someone asks me what my major is, they give me a strange look because everyone hates their math teacher but hey, I get summers and breaks off of work so I'm not complaining. Being more of a math and science person, I have never liked English that much.  However, I am excited to learn more about different types of Literature (like these blogs) and improve my writing.

When we did the 2 truths and 1 lie game in class, I somewhat lied about living in 6 states. It is actually 5 states but I lived in 2 cities in North Carolina so sometimes I get the numbers mixed up.  People always ask me if it was hard moving around so much but to be honest, I got so used to it by the 3^rd time.  One fun fact about it though is that I’ve lived in the north, south, east, west and midwest.  I was born in Texas, then moved to Utah, North Carolina, Illinois and now Missouri. 

I graduated from Lafayette High School and if there are any baseball fans out there, it is the same school that David Freese, MVP of the World Series, graduated from. No big deal.  I don’t particularly like watching baseball, I prefer football or hockey. As for playing sports, I really enjoyed soccer as a kid but when I broke my foot, I stopped playing.  In high school, I played tennis and badminton but I’ve never been too competitive so I didn’t pursue those any further than high school.

Another thing that is different about me is that I am an only child so yes, I do get bored pretty easily at home.  When I was 16, I got a job at Papa Murphy’s to take up my spare time. For those of you who don’t know what it is, it’s like Subway for pizzas. I've worked there for almost 2 years and I love it there.  Other than working, I love going to the movie theater or just watching a movie in my room. I also like music, hanging out with friends and other normal teenager stuff too.

Word Count: 386